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Pages collated by
Jill Bowis of
started November 1999
These pages are being made up from the wealth of practical and technical knowledge that can be found on the newsgroup. None of the topics are finished - they probably never will be - we always have something to learn. If there is something you wnat to know that is not here - get on the group and ask - they are a really friendly group and no question is too simple - and hopefully if it is complicated someone will be able to help find the answer. The group is made up from all walks of poultry keeping from 2 birds in the city to commercial egg and meat producers - and from all over the world.
One of our new laying females has laid 12 eggs in just over 2 weeks, but it seems like she does not plan to hatch them. She will lay and sit for a while, gathering the eggs under her. Then, after 15 or 20 minutes, she gets up and leaves! When will she or will she decide to sit on the eggs? I've read that egg incubation must begin within 2 weeks, which would mean that the first 2 or 3 eggs she has laid are shot. I'm not certain what breed she is, but I would guess Leghorn since she is all white. I purchased her from the same batch as her mate, and he is a deadringer for a Leghorn.
A - Get a banty. They are good broody hens. Next summer she might hatch some eggs for you
A - Just because a hen is a "banty" does not mean it is a broody one. Banty is slang for bantam chicken which is one of the 100+ miniaturized breeds. If you have a hen with good mothering instincts, it is said to be a good broody.
A - You could always try to get hold of a Silkie - do nothing but go broody all of the time! Beautiful to look at and sometimes, if the mood takes them and the weather is just right and so on, they will lay an egg or two!
A - I also have white leghorns, they are bred to never go broody,I personally use Partridge Rocks as my "Broody hens" They are BIG and can cover many more eggs than a Banty breed.( about 20-25 ) They dont care what color egg they are seated upon either. They are very calm and non violent, White leghorns can be vicious.Some banty breeds are rough also. and they make good mothers not just sitters.
I personally enjoy my two P.Rocks. Consider one of them for your needs. An incubator would be my next choice.
A - Some don't. It is an undesirable trait in battery fowl, and irrelevant for show birds, so it tends to get bred out. You need to find a strain that goes broody. Silkies are often recommended, and this is consistent with my experience; they;re good mothers. Even better are muscovy ducks, these will try to hatch a golfball if they see one.
How do I know if my hen is broody?
She will sit tight on eggs when you go to collect them, she may peck at you when you try to take them from under her, she will feel extremely warm underneath, if you pick her up and put her on the ground she won't move far and stay fluffed up ( a non broody hen will shake her feathers back into place and walk off)
If she has already started nest building then she may loose some feathers on her breast.
I have two bantams brooding in the same milk crate. They both are missing most of their feathers on their undersides. Is this normal during brooding?
They pluck feathers out to make the original nest and the contact of hot skin to eggs and chicks gives you the incubator. Feathers would insulate the eggs from the mothers body heat.
After a hen has gone broody and sat on some eggs for a time, only to abandon them when it realised they were infertile (4 or 5 weeks later), how long will it take to start laying again?
Usually a hen will resume laying a month or two later when her body weight is sufficiently recovered from the brooding. Also, they tend to go through molt after brooding, and this can be 2 to 6 months with out much laying activity.